North Africa

Secularists Need Unity to Take on Political Islam

By Barbara Slavin

For millions of Egyptians, there is a palpable sense of relief that their president is no longer Mohamed Morsi. But for Egypt’s democratic “do-over” to succeed, the forces that came together to persuade the army to remove Morsi will have to unite behind a viable electoral alternative.

Nidaa Tounes: A coup de grace of their own

By Brian Braun

The shockwaves of Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow in Egypt are reverberating loudly in Tunis, where dueling between supporters of the leading Islamist party Ennahda and the secular opposition is aggravating a deeply polarized environment and provoking political unease at a critical moment in the country’s transition. As Tunisia’s nervous Islamists cautiously watch events unfold in Egypt, […]

America’s Difficult High-Wire Act in Egypt

By R. Nicholas Burns

As the chaos in Egypt accelerates, Washington will have to think hard about the role it must play as the most influential outside force in that critical country. Despite a distracted Congress, declining military and diplomacy budgets and the general inward direction of the country, the Obama administration has no choice but to remain engaged […]

End of the Military Strongman?

By Kathryn Alexeeff

The success of Pakistan’s democratic elections in May and the outcome of the recent protests in Egypt point to a shift in both countries’ military participation in politics – while they will support or depose governments, they no longer seem interested in ruling the countries themselves.

Electoral Politics Under Tunisia’s New Constitution

Overtaken by regional events in Syria and Egypt, coverage of Tunisia’s transition pales in comparison, but much more political maneuvering and dynamism is taking place in the cradle of the Arab spring. The Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a roundtable discussion on July 11, 2013 for the launch of its […]

Electoral politics under Tunisia’s new constitution

By Duncan Pickard

In the latest issue brief from the Rafik Hariri Center at the Atlantic Council, “Electoral Politics Under Tunisia’s New Constitution,” author Duncan Pickard assesses the challenges and likely outcomes for political parties in Tunisia after the completion of the country’s new constitution. Tunisians have been waiting for a new constitution to cement democratic order after […]